Flabob Airport: Riverside's Living Museum of General Aviation History
Flabob Airport in Riverside is one of California's most beloved general aviation treasures, a fully operational public-use airport that has maintained its vintage 1920s character while serving as an active aviation community hub for nearly a century. The airport's name derives from its founders—Floyd, Alva, and Bob—and its unpaved turf runways, World War II-era hangars, and the famous Flabob Airport Café create an atmosphere unlike any other Southern California airport. The café has been a gathering place for pilots, aviation historians, and enthusiasts since the mid-20th century, serving breakfast and lunch alongside hangar tales from local aviators.
Flabob Airport is home to the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter 1, the oldest EAA chapter in the world, which has met here since EAA's founding. The airport hosts numerous fly-ins, air shows, and aviation education events throughout the year, drawing vintage aircraft enthusiasts from across Southern California. Despite its historic character, Flabob remains a fully operational public-use airport under Caltrans Division of Aeronautics oversight, welcoming transient pilots to experience a piece of California aviation history that has largely disappeared elsewhere in the urbanized Inland Empire.
What makes Flabob Airport historically significant?
Flabob Airport dates to the 1920s, is home to EAA Chapter 1 (the world's first EAA chapter), and maintains original vintage infrastructure including turf runways and WWII-era hangars, making it a living museum of California general aviation history.
Is the Flabob Airport Café open to the public?
Yes. The Flabob Airport Café is open to both pilots and non-pilot visitors, serving breakfast and lunch in a historic hangar setting that has been a Riverside aviation landmark for decades.
Can any aircraft use Flabob Airport's turf runway?
Flabob's turf runways are best suited for lighter aircraft—tailwheel, vintage, light sport, and homebuilt aircraft. Heavier complex aircraft should use Riverside Municipal Airport (RAL) instead.
What events are held at Flabob Airport?
Flabob hosts EAA Chapter 1 meetings, fly-ins featuring vintage and homebuilt aircraft, Young Eagles youth aviation events, and periodic air shows celebrating the airport's rich history.
How far is Flabob Airport from Riverside Municipal Airport?
Flabob Airport is approximately 4 miles northwest of Riverside Municipal Airport (RAL), with both airports serving the Riverside general aviation community in complementary roles.
Flabob Airport Cafe Contact Information
Address, Phone Number, and Hours for an Airports in Riverside, California.
| Name | Flabob Airport Cafe |
| Address | 6035 Avenue Juan Diaz, Riverside CA 92509 Map |
| Phone | (951) 686-6660 |
| Website | |
| Hours |
Map of Flabob Airport Cafe
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EAA Chapter 1 and the Experimental Aviation Legacy at Flabob
The Experimental Aircraft Association's first chapter, founded alongside EAA itself in the early 1950s, chose Flabob Airport as its home base because the airport embodied the spirit of grassroots aviation experimentation and community that EAA founder Paul Poberezny championed. Chapter 1 members have built and flown homebuilt aircraft from Flabob's turf runways for seven decades, maintaining a tradition of hands-on aviation craftsmanship that has inspired countless California pilots to build their own aircraft. The EAA's Young Eagles program, which provides free introductory flights to youth, is particularly active at Flabob through Chapter 1's ongoing commitment to aviation education.
Flabob Airport's survival in the heavily urbanized Riverside area represents a remarkable civic achievement. With residential neighborhoods pressing close on multiple sides and real estate pressure from the Inland Empire's relentless growth, the airport has been preserved through community advocacy and City of Riverside recognition of its cultural and historical value. Pilots visiting Flabob should plan their arrival around the café's breakfast hours for the complete experience—landing on the grass, parking among vintage aircraft, and joining the informal community of aviators who have made Flabob one of California's most irreplaceable aviation landmarks.